According to Italian footballer Enzo Maresca, Chelsea Football Club is facing significant uncertainty regarding its January transfer plans due to Ukrainian international Mykhailo Mudryk testing positive for doping.

Sources have indicated that Mudryk’s “routine urine test results were abnormal,” which has sparked widespread concern and questioning. Despite Mudryk firmly denying any intentional use of prohibited substances and vowing to prove his innocence, the results of the B-sample test have once again confirmed the abnormality, potentially subjecting him to a long-term ban.

Since transferring from Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea for a staggering £89 million two years ago, Mudryk has struggled to impress. In the competition for Chelsea’s wing positions, he lags behind Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke, and Jaden Sancho, and even academy graduate Tariq Lamptey has been integrated into the first-team squad this season.

Despite appearing in 15 matches across various competitions and contributing three goals and three assists in the Europa League group stage, Mudryk’s future is now overshadowed by the doping allegations.

For Chelsea, this is undoubtedly a heavy blow. They had planned to rely on their deep squad depth to navigate the challenges of the second half of the season, especially with the inaugural Club World Cup in the United States, where they are expected to go far, and the season potentially lasting until July.

Enzo Maresca stated, “We have three to four matches left before January, including games against Everton, Fulham, and Ipswich Town. We have three league matches to play before January. After those three matches, we will sit down and decide whether we need to take action.”

This incident has not only introduced uncertainty into Chelsea’s transfer plans but has also had a negative impact on the team’s overall morale and preparation. The future of Mudryk remains uncertain at this point.